Houston, TX – Kerri Mathis Photography »

Today I’m sharing my beautiful nieces and nephews with you guys.  Since I began taking pictures I’ve wanted to get them all together and take tons of pictures of them.  We all get together every year for Thanksgiving – or what we call “Thanksmas” since we do Thanksgiving and Christmas all at once!  Last year I had big plans to do their sessions but it rained on us.  Blah.  This year the weather was beautiful and we got it done!  I shot them in two separate locations – the first group you see is Wendy and Randy’s little darlings – and we shot these way out in the country on some railroad tracks in the early morning.  The light was so gorgeous that day and the warm tones in these images were exactly what I wanted.  The second group belongs to Theresa and Paul.  I shot these in the late afternoon – with more gorgeous, warm lighting.  These were shot at my mother-in-law’s home in a field behind her house with an old barn that made for a great backdrop.  I do have to give my brother in law, Randy, a big thanks for peeking out of the back of the barn with his fingers sticking out between the wood in some of the images I took – that made for a lot of cloning to get you out of there, Randy! 

So…here’s Madison.  Isn’t she gorgeous?  She was two when I first met her.  Or maybe a little under two!  One of my most favorite memories of Madison is when her little brother Mark was born.  I was at the hospital and when we heard Mark was here and headed to the nursery she turned to us and said, “I want to see my Mark!”.

And speaking of Mark…I was at the hospital in Denton with the family the day Mark was born.  Jim and I weren’t married yet but he invited me to go up with him to be there for his nephew’s birth.  My mother in law told me later that was the day she knew Jim and I would get married.  I remember holding this little one (well, not such a little one anymore!) and feeling so lucky to be there with that wonderful family.

Sarah’s next – our little Sarah Bear.  She’s a little older than my Jack and he loves to play with her  since they are pretty close in age.  Sarah is a girly-girl and loves her baby dolls.  Sarah is probably one of my favorite kids to photograph – there’s something about her little soul that comes across in pictures and I love capturing it.  It doesn’t hurt that she stands in one place and smiles so sweetly for me every.single.time.

Levi is the baby of this group.  He’s not so much a baby anymore either though – like the rest he’s growing up way too fast.  Poor Levi had a rough day when we took these pictures.  The morning of the session he somehow ran smack into a wall with his little face while getting ready to go and had a huge scratch down his face with some bruising on the sides of it.  (Thank you Photoshop for no evidence of it in his portraits!)

Alan is the oldest of Theresa and Paul’s kids.  He was probably 3 when I first met him shortly after Jim and I started dating.  Little blondie running around the house with his trucks and cars.  He’s a video game prodigy – he seems like one to me anyway – I don’t think he’s ever met a video game he couldn’t immediately get to the highest level of after playing only a couple of rounds.  When I see him in these images I took – I can’t believe that this handsome young man is the same little boy I met all those years ago.  Time.goes.by.too.fast!

Amanda – what a beautiful girl she is.  That dark hair and those gorgeous eyes of hers.  It was only Alan, Madison, and Amanda when I first met the family.  She was only a little over a year old, I think.  I definitely remember her wearing diapers.  Look at her now…tall, beautiful, and she catches on quick to Rummikube.  She’s going to be on MY team next year!!

James – he was 6 weeks old at my wedding.  I wish I had a scanner that worked so I could scan in the picture of me holding him.  I held him a lot!  As a matter of fact – I think he kicked baby fever into high gear for me.  He has always been such a happy little guy – big smiles, lots of fun, and an awesome Lego builder!

And lastly, John.  He’s a clone of his daddy.  And like his big brother James he’s a pretty happy go lucky little boy.  I tried and tried to get some hugs and kisses from him during Thanksmas but he was way too busy to stop for his Aunt Kerri.  Things to do – places to go!!  That’s ok, John – there’s always next year and I’m a patient aunt!!

And there they are!  My beautiful nieces and nephews.   How about one last one of ALL of them together?